Circuit-closer.



S. MYERS.

CIRCUIT CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1915.

1,171,629. Patented Feb. 15,1916.

SAMUEL MEYER-S, F TOWER, MICHIGAN.

c CIRCUIT-CLOSER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916..

Application filed June 7, 1915. Serial No. 32,625.

To all whom ifmag concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tower, in the county of Cheboyganand State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit- Closers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention'relates to certain improvements in circuit closers, and it is an object of my invention to provide a device of this general character especially designed and adapted for use in connection with ignition apparatus of explosive engines and having novel and improved means whereby the closing of the circuit can be accomplished only by an authorized person.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved circuit closer whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the appended claims.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the ac companying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is-a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a circuit closer constructed in accordance with an embodiment I of my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view normally closed by the spring-pressed flap 3, said openings being also preferably permanently closedby the glass panels 4 or other transparent material. Suitably secured within the casing 1 and to the wall thereof opposite to the wall provided with the openingsQ. is the member 5 substantially in the form of an inverted -L in cross section and produced from a suitable non-conductive material and removably secured to said member 5 are the longitudinally disposed alined narrow plates or strips 6 and 7 of conductive material and from which extend the stub shafts 8 in electrical connection with said plates 6 and 7 and rotatably supported upon each of said shafts 8 is a disk 9 produced of an insulating material.

As herein disclosed, each of the disks 9 i has its periphery provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced pockets 10 in communication at their inner extremities with the laterally disposed recesses 11. Each of said pockets is adapted to have removably seated therein a contact member 12 preferably a headed screw, the inner extremity of which being adapted for engagement with an extremity of a contact arm 14 rotatably supported upon the shaft 8 and in electrical connection therewith. As herein embodied, the free extremity of the contact arm 11 is laterally disposed, as at 15, said lateral portion being insertible within a recess 11 and provided with a concavity 16 to receive andbe engaged by the inner extremity of a contact member 12.

The heads of the contact members 12 are countersunk to afford peripheral depressions or indentations adapted to receive the rounded extremity of the endwise movable contact post disposed through the foot or flange of the member 5 whereby electrical connection may be made between said post and the contact member in engagement with the arm 1%, said indentations or perforations also permitting the endwisemovable binding post to serve in the nature of a locking pawl whereby the disk is normally maintained against axial rotation.

The rounded extremity of the binding post is normally maintained in engagement with the disk 9 through the medium of an expansible member 17 herein disclosed as a conventional coil spring, surrounding said post and interposed between the annular shoulder 18 carried thereby and an annular shoulder 19 formed intermediately of the bore or opening 20 through which said binding post is disposed. The upper extremity of the binding post is adapted to have suitably secured thereto an electrical conductor a. in any manner which best meets with the necessities of practice; and, as herein embodied, one of the binding posts coacting with one of the disks 9 mounted upon the plate 6 is in connection with a source of electrical. energy while the second binding 1 l l l i post coacting with said plate 6 is in electrical connection with the endwise movable binding post coacting with the disk 9 mounted upon the plate 7 and said plate 7 hasv suit-- ably connected therewith the conductor 6 for carrying out the current.

Each of the disks 9 is loosely mounted upon its coacting shaft 8 and is capable of slight endwise movement thereon and the outer face of the disk, as herein embodied,

pose between said plate and arm a metallic washer 24 surrounding the shaft 8 whereby it will be perceived that the expansible member 22 assures a constant electrical contact between the arm 14, the washer 24: and the plate 6 or 7 The inner face of each of the disks 9 has secured thereto a dial 25 provided with the indici'a 26 coacting with the contact members 12, in a manner and for a purpose which is believed to be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art to which my present invention appertains, and said indi'ciaare adapted to be exposed through the openings 2, 'hereinbefore referred to, and whereby an authorized person may deter- -mine whether or not the disks have been properly manipulated in order to close the tremities provided with a suitable member 30 whereby the requisite axial rotation may be imparted to the disks.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a circuit closer constructed in accordance with my invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience andfacility with which it may be assembled,

and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without material departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice.

I claim V l. A circuit closer comprising a rotatable member provided with peripheral recesses and with recesses in a face thereof "in communication with the first named recesses, a rotatable contact arm having one extremity insertible within the last named recesses, contact members within the first named recesses and adapted for engagement with the contact arm, and a second contact member adapted to engage the contact members within the first named recesses.

2. A circuit closer comprising a rotatable member provided with peripheral recesses and with recesses in a face thereof in communication with the first named recesses, a rotatable contact arm having one extremity insertible within the last named recesses, contact members within the first named recesses and adapted for engagement with the contact arm, and a second contact member adapted to engage the contact members within the first named recesses, said second named contact member being capable of endwise movement, and means for automatically maintaining said second named contact member in engagement with the periphcry of the rotatable member.

8. A circuit closer including a conductor plate, a shaft electrically connected there-' with, a non-conductive disk rotatably supported by the shaft, a conductor arm rotatably supported by the shaft intermediate the plate and the disk, means coacting with the disk and the shaft for maintaining the conductor arm in electrical connection with the plate, means for maintaining the conductor" arm in a predetermmed position relative to the disk, and a contact member coacting with the conductor arm.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAIVIUEL MY BBS.- Witnesses:

A. GRUNFIELD, GEO. W. Pnnnrrznn, 

